Hope for When it is Go Time

I was with my mom the first time I felt the thrill of a
roller coaster, and last summer I stood in line for the same coaster,
twenty-something years later with my own daughter. She waited nervously,
boarded, and then...AND THEN... she jumped out of her seat and practically
cemented herself onto the exit landing! She panicked. The moment she had been
waiting for arrived, and she jumped ship completely. That day she chose fear
over adventure.

Having to wait leaves ample time for us to let fear move
into the front of our minds, so much so, that we can become crippled by anxious
forebodings. We must find peace in the
waiting, but we cannot allow it to make us comfortable, inactive, and resigned
to the point that when it's go-time and the dream is about to become reality, we
run the other direction in fear.

We see this in the bride experiencing cold feet, the newly
discovered talent getting stage fright, or that first date/day of college/new
career. Two paths lie before us in these moments of anticipation, excitement and
fear. Our fragile hearts may have trouble discerning the difference, but our
actions will show our resolution.

We must choose a side. Will we run into, or away from, what
we've been waiting for?

As we make our way through a fallen world, it can become easy
to disbelieve our deep hopes, dreams, and stuff we don't dare to ask or imagine
could ever become a reality. We've had expectations crushed, plans
deconstructed, and have sat in the trenches of fear wondering if moving
forward, pursuing purpose, and hoping for the things of God is even worth it.

We need not submit to being tortured by questions such as: how
we will handle it if what we've been waiting for isn't as good as we hoped,
or what we will do if this too is taken
away? A heavy heart, and suspicious mind
are all we gain when we act like we can control the unpredictable future that
God is asking us to leave in His hands.

"Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."-1
Peter 5:7

We cannot exchange promises for predictability. We prefer
known pain to uncertainty. But we must not allow predictable pain to build illusions
of security. It is nothing but a frail attempt to stave off being vulnerable to
disappointment.

The Israelites whom God freed from the chains of oppressive
slavery had waited and wandered toward the land God destined for them. They
reached it, the first time, approximately close to two years after being freed from captivity.
They had their toes on the edge of the
promised land, their wait was finally coming to an end, and then...AND THEN...
they began to rebel against the hope that faith in a Holy God would see them
through. They saw themselves as fools for believing, took their eyes off of the
God of their deliverance, and they were focused only on all that could go
wrong. They shouted, "Would it not
be better for us to go back to Egypt?” And they said to one
another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.[1]”
They were ready to run, and because of
their disbelief, they wandered the dessert for 40 years before taking hold of
what God had promised. A full generation perished.

It doesn't take much for people to turn back, scramble, and
flee.

We preach a good God, but yet can act like He is out to get
us. Because of Jesus we are not stalked by the wrath of God but are cleansed
and brought near by His relentless love. In the blessing and the trial He is
good. Yet in the blessing we fear, and in the trial we question. God has not
given us a spirit of fear or demanded that we have it all figured out. Instead,
He has offered us rest, peace, and promises we can trust Him. Why must we
insist on striving in every season of life? Yes, there will be times of
suffering, loss, and trial but there are also times of life, celebration, and
blessing. Whatever the season, we can trust Him to sustain us, to never forsake
us, and to be with us where ever we go.

May we immerse ourselves in the truth of Isaiah 41:10 "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be
dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold
you with my righteous right hand."

The fear of disappointment can flow deep below the surface,
but we cannot allow it to keep us from embracing the good gifts of a loving
God. The mix of excitement and nerves washes over us with a new hope as we get
closer to seeing what we have been waiting for be birthed into reality. Our heart
can choose celebration or panic, adventure or self-inflicted little deaths. We can step into the joy of the moment, or skulk
slowly away in the shadows of fear.

Do not cower when go-time finally arrives; remember— God is who He says He is. Not a warden out to get you, but a Father who is for you. Let's
stop letting fear rob the children of God, and trust him by going into the new
beginnings He has waiting.

---------Readers, What helps you find the courage to go after the things of God? Thank you for joining us for our February series The Wait, we hope you will join us in March for New Beginnings.

About Us

Welcome to Anchored Voices, a place for women to use their words and creativity to point each other to the God who anchors the soul. Conceived to foster an online community where we can remind one another that when the waves hit—in Jesus, the soul is safe.